Studio Tuesday Blog

This is a new series of watercolor ocean illustrations I created for a nursery in Hawaii. The client wanted me to incorporate tropical and Hawaiian scenery into the illustrations, without being overt or touristy. These were a lot of fun and I drew a lot of sea creatures into these, with simple green islands that hint at lush tropical land in the distance. This is the first illustration I completed in the series of 3. It depicts the open ocean, a large humpback whale takes up most of the composition. Also included are a shark and pilot fish, manta rays, spotted eagle rays, and dolphinfish (Mahi Mahi). A variety of little fish add some additional subtle color throughout. I knew from the beginning that I wanted some nice variation in the color of the water throughout this series. While the first illustration was mostly soft blues, I painted this second one with more of a teal color. This is a shallower ocean with some coral reef. Lots of fish (jacks, butterflyfish, tangs) add bright pops of color of yellow, green, and blue. A hammerhead shark and pilot fish are the focal point. I snuck in another spotted eagle ray and a tiny clownfish. The third illustration is another underwater reef scene. This one with a large sea turtle and a lot of orange fish. Some fun details in this one include a spiny puffer fish (uninflated) and a trumpetfish.I have this series available as limited edition prints. They measure 11x14 inches and are in a limited run of 200 prints each.Humpback Whale PrintHammerhead Sharks PrintSea Turtle Reef Print

A compilation of some past underwater and ocean illustrations. These were all commissioned drawing from the past couple years.At the top, a large humpback whale swims through an ocean filled with other sea creatures. Cownose Rays at the bottom, a spotted eagle ray, sea turtle, and lots of colorful fish! This was an 11x14" drawing. Made with India ink and watercolor, as were the following illustrations. I use India Ink because it is waterproof and holds up under all the layers of watercolor. A whimsical under the sea illustration of a reef type habitat. With a few little octopuses, a sea turtle, crab, hermit crab, starfish, anemones, jellyfish, fan coral, and a sea horse. 8x10 inches.An octopus and nautilus - drawn for a cephalopod lover! A fun illustration of a North Atlantic ocean. A tugboat pulls a large freighter ship - and underneath the water a variety of sea animals. Blue Crab, blue mussels, starfish, urchins, a skate, a shark and pilot fish, a tuna, and mackerels. This was a more recent commission (2016) and I ended up drawing more specific fish than a lot of my previous drawings. 11x14 inches.A smaller 5x7" drawing with a sailboat and an underwater scene full of sea animals.A whale and sea turtle, 8x10 inches.I have a lot of fun with these underwater ones. I've been getting some good inspiration lately from going to the National Aquarium with my son. Exciting to draw some new animals and ocean habitats - it's always interesting to translate a new species into a few simple lines.SaveSave